Shoe-heel



F. J. WALKER. SHOE HEEL- APPLICATION map are. 2-1, 1920.

3m 1 (film/Ungr- Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J'. WALKER, OF WICHI'IA, KAN SAS.

SHOE-HEEL.

Application filed December 27, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. WALKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Heels, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in resilient heel lifts and hasas one of its objects to provide a resilient heel lift which may bereadily applied to a heel and secured in place by a single fasteningelement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a resilient heel liftwhich,iwhile adapted to be secured in place by a single fasteningelement, will be snugly held in place against the under face of the heelto which it is applied and in a manner, if desired, to permit of itsrotation so as to insure of its being worn away evenly, in use, insteadof being worn down unevenly as is usually the case.

Another object'of the invention is to pro vide a resilient heel lift soreinforced as to render the same more substantial than lifts of theusual construction and at the same time equally as yieldable andresilient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lift which will be moredurable and longer lasting than the majority of resilient heel lifts, asordinarily constructed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through the heel lift embodyingthe present invention applied to a shoe heel which latter is shown inbottom plan;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 22of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates the leather heel of a shoe andthe numeral 2 indicates in general the resilient lift embodying theinvention and which lift is secured to the under face of the heel 1 andis to constitute the wearing surface of the heel.

The heel lift 2 i preferably formed of soft rubber, although it may bemade of a composition of materials, if desired, but in an y event itwill preferably be resilient or yleldable so as to cushion the impact ofthe heel with the ground surface. The lift comprises a body which isindicated by the numeral 8 and which is preferably of circular form, thebody having flat upper and under faces and having its last mentionedface roughened, if desired, so as to provide against slipping.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Serial No. 433,143.

Embedded in the body 3 at the time of manufacture, is a retainingelement which is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and th s elementis preferably formed from a suitable resilient wire material which is sofashloned as to provide a central eye 5 about whlch as a center thelength of wire is coiled, the coiled portion of the wire being indicatedby the numeral 6. The wire may be given any desired number of turns orcoils about the eye 5 and the coils may begin directly at the eye or thewire may be ex tended for a short distance tangentially from the eye 5 aindicated by the numeral 7, before being bent into coiled form. The

wire, at the outer end of its coil portion 6, is preferably bent backupon itself to form a loop or eye 8 which provides a blunt end notliable to work through the rubber body 8, as might happen if the coiledportion terminated in a pointed end. By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings it will be observed that all portions of the retainingelement 4 are located substantially in a common plane and that the eye 5of the said element is located axially with relation to the body 2 ofthe lift.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings,the resilient wire from which the retaining member is formed is extendedtangentially from the circular eye 5, as indicated by the numeral 7 andas previously explained, and is thence turned back upon the portion 7and in the form of a volute curve and finally terminates in the eyeportion 8 in forming which the end ortion of the wire is bent outwardlyand hack upon itself.

Preferably the underside of the lift body 2 is formed with a countersinkor recess 9 at the point of location of the eye 5, and the said body isfurther formed with an opening or perforation 10 in registration withand concentric to the said eye and passing through the body so as toaccommodate a securing element such for example as a screw 11, the shankof which screw fits through the eye 5 and is threaded into the leatherheel 1, the head 12 of the screw engaging the underside of the eye 5 andbeing housed within the recess or countersink 9, as clearly illus tratedin Fig. 2 of the drawing. This screw 11, or any other appropriatefastening element employed, constitutes the sole means for securing theheel lift in place upon the under face of the heel 1 and by reason ofthe engagement of its head against the eye 5, a firm and secureconnection is provided and yet the resiliency of the lift is in no wayimpaired. Furthermore the lift is in this manner mounted so that it mayturn more or less freely about the securing element as a center andtherefore in use the lift will be in fact turnedfrom time to time sothat all portions thereof will receive equal wear and the lift willtherefore not become worn down upon one side more than upon another. Itwill also be evident that any tendency to pull the lift away from theshoe heel is resisted by the resiliency of the retaining member 4 sothat the lift is held permanently snugly against the, under face of theshoe 1 not only at its central point of attachment but also at itsperipheral portion. It will also be evident thatinasmuch as theretaining member 4: is embedded in the heel lift, this memberwill not beexposed until the lift has been worn down to a very considerable extent,so that the life of the lift isumaterially prolonged and the lift isrendered more durable. Also it will be evident that the retaining memberreinforces the lift.

While all portions of the retaining element may be said to occupysubstantially a common plane, nevertheless it may be desirable to springthe eye at the center of the member inwardly to a slight degree asillustrated in Fig. 2, so that the'head of the securing element maybepositioned as far as possible from the tread face of the lift 2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: v r

1. A heel lift comprising a resilient body,

and a retaining element embedded centrally therein and comprising aresilient coil having a central eye for the passage of a securingelement. a

2. A heel lift comprising a resilient body, and a retaining elementassociated with the body centrally thereof and comprising a resilientcoil having an opening for the passage of a securing element.

3. A heel lift comprising a resilient body, and a. retaining elementembedded therein and having a central eye for the passage of a securingelement, the retaining element having a resilient portion arranged in acoil about the said eye.

4. A heel lift comprising a resilient body,

and a retaining element. embedded therein and having a central eye forthe passageof a securing element, the retaining element having aresilient portion arranged in a coil about the said eye and terminatingin a blunt end.

5. A heel lift comprisinga resilient body, and a retaining elementembedded therein and having a central eye for the passage of a securingelement, the. retaining element having a resilient portion arranged in acoil about the said eye and terminating in an eye portion occupying theplane of the coil.

6. A heel lift comprising a resilient body, and a retaining'elementembedded therein and comprising a resilient coil provided at its innerend with an eye for the .passageofa securing element and having itsouter end bent back upon itself, all portions of the said elementoccupying a common plane.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK J. WALKER. [n s.]

